This invention relates to a visual camera surveillance system that rides along track cables. The operation of the camera system is controlled from a remote location. Such movable unmanned cameras would find particular application in remote outdoor locations where having a camera operator on site would be expensive and not practical due to weather or other conditions. Examples of outdoor locations that would employ such movable camera systems include highways, fences, railroads, rivers, border crossings, beaches, etc.
Visual surveillance systems using video camera are known. Some such systems use an on site video camera whose data is continuously recorded and then preserved or erased to make room for other subsequent data depending on whether or not an awaited event occurred during the recording on that recording period.
In another vision processing system traffic flow is detected and monitored by generating successive images of sections of the roadway, transducing the images into arrays of pixels where each pixel has a luminance value and then summing the values for all pixels. These summed values are then compared to a reference value to generate data when the difference is great enough.
Another road section monitoring system recognizes obstacles in the road such as wave flooding, land slip, etc. Data based on the detected obstacles, measured are taken and drivers informed of the results.
Another traffic surveillance process and device is used to measure the speed of a vehicle within a traffic scene, optically record the traffic scene, and reproduce the traffic scene on a display in synchronism with the display of the measured speed.
Devices that record and transmit visual images from remote locations are known. For example, in the U.S. Pat. No. 4,977,451 to Besnard an on site video camera is used to continuously recorded and then conserved or erased data sections to make room for other subsequent data depending on whether or not the awaited event occurred during the recording on in a section.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,296,852 to Rathi discloses a vision processing system wherein traffic flow is detected and monitored by generating successive images of sections of the roadway, transducing the images into arrays of pixels with each pixel having a luminance value and then summing the values for all pixels. These summed values are then compared to a reference value to generate data when the difference is great enough.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,486,819 to Horie discloses a road obstacle monitoring device which recognizes obstacles in the road such as wave flooding, land slip, etc. Data based on the detected obstacles are measured and drivers are informed of the results.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,767,794 to Borsch et al. discloses a traffic surveillance process and device used to measure the speed of a vehicle within a traffic scene, optically record the traffic scene, and reproduce the traffic scene on a display in synchronism with the display of the measured speed.
In contrast to such visual processing systems, the present invention utilizes a movable carriage for a video camera which rides along a track system. The carriage""s operation and the transported camera are both controlled from a remote location all as detailed hereafter.
This invention relates to a remotely controlled camera and a carriage mount for the camera which move along a track system that supplies electrical power to operate the carriage and the camera.
It is the primary object of the present invention to provide for an improved visual surveillance system for remote locations.
Another object is to provide for such a system wherein a remotely controlled camera is transported by a movable carriage that rides along a track system which provides guidance and support for the carriage.
These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to readers from a consideration of the ensuing description and the accompanying drawings.